Donald Abelson

Donald Abelson provides policy and strategic advice to a global client base on a wide range of trade, policy and technical issues, including standards and regulatory issues, Internet governance and information & communications technology.

In addition to serving clients, I co-authored of the Aspen Institute's International Digital Economy Agreement (IDEA) (2009-2011), served on the Obama Administration's transition and confirmation team for the U.S. Trade Representative (2008-2009) and contributed to The MIT Press 2009 publication, “Transforming Global Information and Communications Markets,” authored by Cowhey and Aronson). I have also been a Fellow at the Center for Communications Law & Policy at the University of Southern California (2008-2010).

Publications

• Abelson, Donald E. Do Think Tanks Matter? Assessing the Impact of Public Policy Institutes. Second Edition. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, forthcoming.
• Abelson, Donald E. Do Think Tanks Matter? Assessing the Impact of Public Policy Institutes. Translated into Arabic by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, 2007.
• Abelson, Donald E. A Capitol Idea: Think Tanks and U.S. Foreign Policy. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2006.
• Abelson, Donald E. Do Think Tanks Matter? Assessing the Impact of Public Policy Institutes. Kingston and Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2002.
• James, Patrick, Abelson, Donald E. and Michael Lusztig (eds). The Myth of the Sacred: The Charter, the Courts and the Politics of the Constitution in Canada. Kingston and Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2002.
• Abelson, Donald E. American Think-Tanks and their Role in U.S. Foreign Policy. London and New York: Macmillan and St. Martin's Press, 1996.

Chapters in Books

• Abelson, Donald E. "What Were They Thinking? Think Tanks, the Bush Administration and U.S. Foreign Policy," in Inderjeet Parmar, Linda B. Miller and Mark Ledwidge (eds), New Directions in US Foreign Policy. London: Routledge, forthcoming.
• Abelson, Donald E. "Is Anybody Listening? Assessing the Influence of Think Tanks," in Adolfo Garcé and Gerardo Uña (eds.), Think Tanks and Public Policy in Latin America: Global Dynamics and Regional Realities, forthcoming.
• Abelson, Donald E. "The Rand Corporation," in Ruud van Dijk (eds), Encyclopedia of the Cold War. London: Routledge, 2008: 731-32 .
• Abelson, Donald E. "In the Line of Fire: Think Tanks, the War on Terror and Anti-Americanism," in Richard Higgott and Ivana Malbasic (eds), The Political Consequences of Anti-Americanism. London: Routledge, 2008, pp. 44-57.
• Abelson, Donald E. and Duncan Wood. People, Security and Borders: The WHTI and Its Implications for North America. Ottawa: Fulbright Foundation, 2007.
• Abelson, Donald E. "Any Ideas? Think Tanks and Policy Analysis in Canada," in Laurent Dobuzinskis, Michael Howlett and David Laycock (eds), Policy Analysis in Canada: The State of the Art. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007, 551-573.
• Abelson, Donald E. "Alguien está escuchando? Evaluando la influencia de los think tanks en las políticas," en Adolfo Garcé y Gerado Uña (eds.), Think Tanks y políticas publicas en Latinoamérica: Dinámicas globales y realidades regionales. Buenos Aires: Prometeo Libros, 2006: 15-50.
• Abelson, Donald E. "The Business of Ideas: The Think Tank Industry in the United States," in Diane Stone and Andrew Denham (eds), Think tank traditions. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2004, pp. 215-31.
• Wiktorowicz, Mary, Lapp, Miriam, Brodie, Ian and Donald E. Abelson, "Interest Groups and Health Policy in Ontario," in Kathy L. Brock (ed), Delicate Dances: Public Policy and the Nonprofit Sector. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2003, pp. 171-221.
• James, Patrick, Abelson, Donald E. and Michael Lusztig. Introduction: The Myth of the Sacred in the Canadian Constitutional Order," in Patrick James, Donald E. Abelson and Michael Lusztig (eds), The Myth of the Sacred: The Charter, the Courts and the Politics of the Constitution in Canada. Kingston and Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2002: 3-14.
• Abelson, Donald E. "Think Tanks, Public Policy and Constitutional Politics in Canada," in Patrick James, Donald E. Abelson and Michael Lusztig (eds), The Myth of the Sacred: The Charter, the Courts and the Politics of the Constitution in Canada. Kingston and Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2002: 171-88.
• Abelson, Donald E. and Evert A. Lindquist. "Think Tanks Across North America," in R. Kent Weaver and James G. McGann (eds), Think Tanks and Civil Societies: Catalyst for Ideas and Action. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 2000: 37-66.
• Abelson, Donald E. "Surveying the Think Tank Landscape in Canada," in Martin W. Westmacott and Hugh Mellon (eds), Public Administration and Policy: Governing in Challenging Times. Scarborough: Prentice-Hall, 1999: 91-105.
• Abelson, Donald E. "Think Tanks in the United States," in Diane Stone, Andrew Denham and Mark Garnett (eds), Think Tanks Across Nations: A Comparative Approach. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1998: 107-126.
• Abelson, Donald E. "Canada and the Clinton White House: Looking Back and Looking Ahead at Canadian-American Relations," in Fen O. Hampson, Maureen A. Molot and Martin Rudner (eds), Canada Among Nations 1997: The Year of Asia-Pacific. Ottawa: Carleton University, Press, 1997: 81-103.

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles

• "Politics on Ice: The United States, the Soviet Union and a Hockey Game in Lake Placid," Canadian Review of American Studies, forthcoming.
• Abelson, Donald E. "A War of Ideas: think tanks and terrorism Policy Options, 28 (3) March 2007: 75-78.
• Abelson, Donald E. "Capitol Thinkers: American Think Tanks and the Media." PIN - Politik im Netz, 6. Jahrang, Ausgabe: 26 im January 2005, Rubrik: national.
• Abelson, Donald E. "In Search of Policy Influence: The Strategies of American Think Tanks." NIRA Review (Tokyo), Spring 1998: 28-32.
• Abelson, Donald E. "Policy Experts and Political Pundits: American Think Tanks and the News Media." NIRA Review (Tokyo), Summer 1998: 40-43.
• Abelson, Donald E. "Think Tanks and U.S. Foreign Policy: An Historical View." U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda: An Electronic Journal of the U.S. Department of State, 7 (3), November 2002: 9-12.
• Abelson, Donald E. "Do Think Tanks Matter? Opportunities, Constraints and Incentives for Think Tanks in Canada and the United States," Global Society 14 (2), 2000: 213-236.
• Abelson, Donald E. "Public Visibility and Policy Relevance: Assessing the Impact and Influence of Canadian Policy Institutes." Canadian Public Administration 42 (2), Summer 1999: 240-270.
• Abelson, Donald E. and Christine M. Carberry. "Following Suit or Falling Behind? A Comparative Analysis of Think Tanks in Canada and the United States." Canadian Journal of Political Science 31 (3) September 1998: 525-555.
• Abelson, Donald E. and Christine M. Carberry. "Policy Experts in Presidential Campaigns: A Model of Think Tank Recruitment." Presidential Studies Quarterly 27 (4), Fall 1997: 679-697.; Abelson, Donald E. and Michael Lusztig, "The Consistency of Inconsistency: Tracing Ontario's Opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement." Canadian Journal of Political Science 29 (4), December 1996: 681-698.
• Abelson, Donald E. "Environmental Lobbying and Political Posturing: The Role of Environmental Groups in Ontario's Debate Over NAFTA." Canadian Public Administration 38 (3) Fall 1995: 352-381.
• Abelson, Donald E. "From Policy Research to Political Advocacy: The Changing Role of Think Tanks in American Politics." The Canadian Review of American Studies 25 (1) Winter 1995: 93-126.; Abelson, Donald E. "A New Channel of Influence: Think Tanks and the News Media." Queen's Quarterly 99 (4) Winter 1992: 849-872.